How rich is action superstar Jackie Chan? According to a report in the Sichuan-based Tianfu Morning Post, rumors that the 60-year-old Chan is worth as much as 2 billion yuan (US$320 million) may not be far off.
His known sources of wealth are said to include more than 30 luxury sports cars, more than 10 pieces of real estate around the world, a 200-million-yuan (US$32 million) private jet, seven antique houses, two pavilions, priceless paintings from Chinese artist Xu Beihong, a 2-million-yuan (US$320,000) horse saddle, a US$200,000 rug, and several rosewood antique furniture pieces.
Chan, who recently unveiled the HK$50 million (US$6.45 million) Jackie Chan Museum in Shanghai, has refused to divulge the extent of his wealth to reporters, saying only that he does not have as much money as Jack Ma, the founder of Hangzhou-based e-commerce giant Alibaba. Forbes places Ma's net worth at US$8.9 billion, making him the 122nd richest man in the world.
Chan has accumulated his fortune largely through his successful film career and property investments. At the height of his popularity in Asia in the 1990s, Chan was earning well in excess of 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million) for each of his action flicks, churned out by Hong Kong's film industry in rapid succession.
His earnings skyrocketed further once he ventured into Hollywood. For Rush Hour 3 in 2007, Chan made US$15 million plus 15% of box office receipts, not to mention lucrative distribution rights in Hong Kong and mainland China. A year later, Chan took home another US$15 million for The Forbidden Kingdom in addition to a portion of box office receipts and distribution rights.
Based on figures released at the end of last year, Chan's asking price for a film role is currently around 50 million yuan (US$8 million), which would make him the second-highest earner in the Chinese film industry behind Jet Li, who is paid about 60 million yuan (US$9.6 million) per picture.
Chan refused to comment on the report but hinted that he makes much more as a producer and distributor than he did as an actor, noting that he stars in some of his films, such as 2012's Chinese Zodiac, for free.
Chan's properties include mansions in Hollywood and Australia, with his five-bedroom Beverly Hills property valued at US$6.7 million. At the end of 2004, Chan made nearly HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) from a property sale in Hong Kong and a year later netted another HK$30 million (US$3.87 million) from the sale of a mansion in Los Angeles. In 2010, Chan spent 40 million yuan (US$6.4 million) on a 1,200-square-meter mansion in Beijing, which has since reportedly risen in value to more than 100 million (US$16 million). He is also said to have been taking full advantage of Hong Kong's strong luxury property market, allegedly making around HK$70 million (US$9 million) a year from his real estate investments alone.
